FWC Law Enforcement Report: Illegally Baited Game Camera
December 30, 2023
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following recent activity:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
(No report submitted for Escambia County).
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Lewis located a game camera over an illegally baited area in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. The officer seized the game camera and secured a warrant for the search of the camera. A subject captured on the game camera was identified via facial recognition software. The officer interviewed the subject, and the subject admitted to placing the bait around the game camera. The officer issued the subject a notice to appear citation for the violation.
Officer Bower was on patrol and located a subject fishing. The subject stated he had not caught any fish but was observed attempting to hide one undersized redfish and two undersized stone crab claws in his cooler. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violations.
Officer Bower located a group of anglers and a cooler at the end of the Navarre Beach fishing pier. One of the subjects said the cooler was not theirs and stated they didn’t know who the cooler belonged to. In an attempt to locate the owner of the cooler, Officer Bower inspected the abandoned cooler and located an undersized flounder. After further investigation, it was determined the subject was the owner of the cooler and admitted to catching the flounder. The subject was cited accordingly for the violation.
Officer Bower located a sailboat on state waters without documentation or Florida registration displayed. Officer Bower located the hull identification number and determined the vessel was documented and the US Coast Guard assisted in identifying the owner of the vessel. The vessel’s registration expired in 2013. The current owner of the vessel purchased the sailboat in the spring of 2023 and failed to register the documented vessel. The owner was cited for the violation.
This report represents some events the FWC handled during the time period; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Century Trailer Fire, Two Other Fires Add Red Bulbs During ‘Keep the Wreath Green’
December 30, 2023
Escambia County Fire Rescue has placed three more red bulbs on the county wreath following residential structure fires that occurred over the Christmas weekend, including one in Century, bringing the total of red bulbs on the wreath to 12.
At 2:28 p.m. on Christmas day, ECFR responded to a residential mobile home fire at the 130 block of West State Line Road. The first unit on scene discovered fire on one end of a mobile home. Upon investigation, firefighters located a fire in the living room, hallway and master bedroom. Due to the significance of the fire, assistance was requested from Santa Rosa County. Crews worked quickly to attack the fire, bringing it under control by 2:45 p.m. There were no injuries or fatalities. The Florida Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations is investigating the cause of the fire. Additional assistance was provided to the residents by the American Red Cross.
At 12:29 a.m. Christmas day, ECFR responded to a residential structure fire at the 1900 block of North “L” Street. Upon arrival, crews saw smoke showing from the attic. Due to a fast response with rapid water application, the fire was kept to the attic and brought under control by 12:55 a.m. There were no injuries or fatalities. ECFR conducted the investigation and determined the cause of the fire to be the HVAC system, which spread through the home’s duct work. Assistance was provided by the American Red Cross.
At 1:17 a.m. Christmas day, ECFR responded to a residential structure fire at the 100 block of Alice Street. The first to arrive on scene found a single story home with heavy fire on the rear of the home. Despite heavy wind conditions, crews worked quickly to stop the fire and brought it under control by 1:35 a.m. One cat was found deceased due to the fire. Due to significant damage from the fire, the occupants were displaced. ECFR conducted the investigation and determined an accidental electrical issue caused the fire. Assistance was provided by the American Red Cross.
The “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign is a collaborative initiative with the City of Pensacola to promote fire safety during the month of December. During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths are on display at 21 county fire stations and five city fire stations, as well as Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building and Pensacola City Hall. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in a residential home.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Need To Get Rid Of A Real Christmas Tree? ECUA Will Pick It Up
December 30, 2023
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) is ready to help you dispose of that real Christmas tree.
ECUA will turn it into compost.
Place the real tree or wreath out by the curb on your regular pick-up day, and it will be picked up as part of ECUA’s regular yard waste collection. Just make sure that the natural tree or wreath is free of ornaments, tinsel and stands.
ECUA will compost the trees with other yard waste at their Biosolids Composting Facility.
Allie Eubanks Named Beulah Academy of Science Teacher of the Year
December 30, 2023
Allie Eubanks is the Beulah Academy of Science Teacher of the Year.
NorthEscambia.com is wrapping up 2023 by honoring the Teachers of the Year from North Escambia schools over the next several days. Escambia County’s overall Teacher of the Year will be named in February.
Second Florida Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Begins Next Week
December 29, 2023
As students head back to school in January, Florida is hold its second, two-week ack-to-School Sales Tax Holiday from Monday, January 1, 2024 through Sunday, January 14, 2024.
Parents will get a break from the state’s sales tax on school-related items, just like each Fall.. No Florida sales tax or local option tax will be collected during this time on the sale of the following items:
- Clothing, footwear, and certain accessories with a sales price of $100 or less per item
- Certain school supplies with a sales price of $50 or less per item
- Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles with a sales price of $30 or less
- Personal computers, laptops, monitors, and certain computer-related accessories with a sales price of $1,500 or less, when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use
Among the allowed school supplies are the following: calculators, colored pencils, crayons, pens, construction paper, lunch boxes, notebooks, glue, paste, staplers, markers, rulers, and scissors.
Examples of learning aids and jigsaw puzzles include electronic or interactive books, flashcards, memory games, puzzle books, search-and-find books, toys intended to teach reading or math skills, and stacking or nesting blocks or sets.
For detailed information, click or tap here (pdf).
Florida Commerece: Escambia Area Adds Jobs In 2023
December 29, 2023
FloridaCommerce announced that the Escambia area industry gaining the most jobs over the year was education and health services, increasing by 2,400 jobs. The Pensacola area’s private sector employment increased by 1,600 jobs, an increase of 0.9 percent over the year in November 2023.
The Escambia area’s labor force increased by 5,383 in November 2023, a 2.3 percent increase over the year. The Pensacola area unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in November 2023, up 0.6 percentage point from 2.6 percent from one year ago in November 2022.
Florida’s labor force continues to thrive, with 350,000 more people entering the labor force at an annual growth rate of 3.2 percent, faster than the national growth rate of 2.3 percent. Florida continues to outpace the nation in labor force growth for the 30th consecutive month. Florida’s private sector employment increased by 0.3 percent (+28,300 jobs) over the month in November 2023. Florida’s unemployment rate was 2.9 percent in November 2023, 0.8 percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent and marking the 37th consecutive month Florida’s unemployment rate has remained below the nations.
In November 2023, the education and health services sector gained the most jobs among all major industries, adding 11,800 jobs from the previous month, followed by construction, adding 6,300 jobs.
Pensacola Launching New Parking App January 1
December 29, 2023
The City of Pensacola has partnered with ParkMobile to launch a new parking app for downtown city-owned parking spaces beginning Monday, Jan. 1.
The decision to partner with ParkMobile LLC, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the United States, was based on results from the city’s recent Downtown Parking Survey. 45 percent of survey respondents said they prefer to use an app to pay for parking, while 18 percent said that their biggest concern when parking downtown is difficulty using available payment methods.
“In Pensacola, a lot of drivers want to pay to park with an app,” Mayor Reeves said. “They also want an app that’s easy to use. That’s the number one goal of our partnership with ParkMobile — to help create a user-friendly downtown parking experience.”
The ParkMobile app has 50 million users across North America — more than 8 million in Florida — and holds the highest user rating for functionality with more than 1.2 million reviews.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 1, ParkMobile will be available for both iPhone and Android devices and may also be accessed on a mobile web browser. To pay for parking via the ParkMobile app or website, users will enter the zone number or scan the QR code found on the signs located within the parking zone, choose the duration of time they wish to park and select the “start parking” button.
Tonight Is The Last Night To For Christmas Lights, Hayrides, Goats In Pajamas At Bratt Ranch
December 29, 2023
There’s one more chance planned for Friday night, December 29 to see tens of thousands of Christmas lights at Runamuck Ranch in Bratt.
And see the goats in pajamas.
The lights festival will be open Friday, December 29 from 5:30 until 9 p.m. The gate closes at 8:30 p.m., and the last hayride is at 8:15 p.m.
Nestled on three or four acres in the woods off Rigby Road, the display is walk-through (not a drive-through). Admission and parking are free, but donations are accepted.
Visitors walk a short distance from the parking lot down a lighted path and cross a small foot bridge into the Christmas wonderland. It’s in an open, park-like setting with lots of lights, inflatables, and animated displays.
Concessions are available — hot cocoa, popcorn, cotton candy, hot tea, bottled water and more are mostly $1 each. A S’mores kit will set you back just $3. Only cash is accepted. There are picnic tables and lounge chairs, and propane patio heaters if it’s cold.
Runamuck Ranch is located at 4951 Rigby Road in Bratt (about 1.5 miles from Bratt Elementary). Take Still Road south off West Highway 4 turn left on Rigby Road and look for the signs. Don’t expect to see a lot of lights from the road; it’s a driveway back to the parking lot. (We found that Google Maps was a bit off on the location; click here for a map to the driveway.)
Pictured: The Christmas lights festival at Runamuck Ranch in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Pictured: The Christmas lights festival at Runamuck Ranch in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Low Near Freezing Again Friday Night
December 29, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. West wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 53. West wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 33. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
New Year’s Day: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
Escambia County Offers Fireworks Safety Tips; Fireworks Blamed For Multiple Residential Fires
December 29, 2023
As Escambia County prepares for New Year’s Eve festivities, Escambia County Fire Rescue encourages residents who choose to purchase and display their own fireworks to utilize extra precautions and safety measures during the holiday.
As numerous Floridians choose to purchase their own fireworks, the number of residential structure fires has increased during holidays that are celebrated with fireworks.
Between 2017 and 2023, Escambia County experienced nine residential structure fires caused by fireworks. Seven of those fires were caused by fireworks that were improperly disposed of after their use.
Residents are also encouraged to use caution while using sparklers. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries. For children under five years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.